Article

Allison King Returns

Published on Thu, 2013-03-21 15:18

By:

Tarynn Swobody

“I feel a lot more aggressive ... I've had nice PRs in my snatch and twice in the clean and jerk in 2013, which is a big deal for me because I feel like such a veteran of the sport, and to still have PRs is pretty amazing to me.”

When the competitors entered the final workout of the 2012 North West Regional, Allison King and Alexandra Seal were in contention for the podium. Seal was in third with 31 points, while King was in a close fourth with 36 points.

To the surprise of the crowds, King was able to overcome the five-point gap by finishing six places ahead of Seal (eighth to 14th). Soon after, King stood atop the podium and accepted the final berth to the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games.

“The stars aligned,” King said in an interview after the event.

It would be her second time at the CrossFit Games, but her first appearance as an Individual competitor. In 2010, she competed with Kirkland CrossFit.

Yet, she wouldn’t return to Carson, Calif., that July. She declined the invitation to the Games, and wouldn’t respond to interviews.

Now, she’s back.

After two weeks of competition, she was in seventh overall in the North West (seventh on 13.1 and 17th on 13.2).

She decided to skip the CrossFit Games, she explains, because she needed to put her husband and two young daughters first.

“There is so much time you are spending on yourself (when training for the CrossFit Games),” she says.

This year, it’s different.

“Our family decision for this year (is to) get me to the Games!” she says.

She won’t disclose whether she intends to compete with her team or go individual this year, but she isn’t shy about discussing her training.

“I feel a lot more aggressive,” she says. “I won Rainier CrossFit's Strongman Competition this year and a local weightlifting competition at Thrush Sports Performance. I've had nice PRs in my snatch and twice in the clean and jerk in 2013, which is a big deal for me because I feel like such a veteran of the sport, and to still have PRs is pretty amazing to me.”

She has been training her weaknesses, especially gymnastic movements like bar muscle-ups, ring muscle-ups and handstand push-ups.

And she hasn’t forgotten the burn of Diane from last year’s Regional. Finishing in 7:21, she accumulated 27 points that she would have to scrape to overcome over the next five events of the Regional. In preparation, she’s been doing Diane once a month for the last year.